Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni - Yukidomarishi-hen

by Nipaah

Is it a curse? Or a conspiracy? Furude Rika throws the dice once again, and travels to yet another Hinamizawa. Will she finally be able to overcome fate? Or will she be victim to the seemingly unavoidable tragedy? What will be the outcome of this June of the 58th year of the Shouwa Era?

1. Prologue

『Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni』

Yukidomarishi-hen

{Prologue}

【Is there no escape? Is it impossible to defeat this?

Is there no escape? Is it fate for this to happen?

Is there no escape? Is there no end to this tragedy?!】

~ Frederica Bernkastel ~

This is an endless world. That doesn't mean that this world is wide. Well... I guess I should call this world a ring with a small diameter. There's no end to this ring... But that doesn't mean that there's a wide range of possibilities in this world. In other words, this is an endless, finite world.

Seeing this world can only mean one thing... "Furude Rika" was killed once again. For some reason, our lives always end in death. We have journeyed for over 100 years, and yet, we can't seem to find an exit from this tragic labyrinth. No matter how hard we've tried, we have never escaped death. Because of this, we have come to accept that it is fate for "Furude Rika" to be murdered in the June of the 58th year of the Shouwa Era.

I have collected pieces of memories. These are infinite worlds of possibilities centered around "Furude Rika". They are crystalized fragments. I think of these fragments as books, so I give them names.

This is the world where Keiichi was cursed. I call this the "Onikakushi" chapter. In the "Onikakushi" chapter, Maebara Keiichi was taken over by the darkness. He couldn't accept any of his friends' kind words, and eventually beat them to death, not knowing their kindness.

That one is the "Watanagashi" chapter. In that world, Sonozaki Shion was cursed. She killed many people out of revenge for her boyfriend, who went missing in the 57th year of Shouwa. Rika was tortured to death in that world. Life was taking the same direction in the "Meakashi" chapter. Because of this, Rika commited suicide in that world, so she wouldn't have to be tortured. She had already given up on that world anyways.

This fragment is the "Tatarigoroshi" chapter. This was the worst world of all. Rika was unable to do anything in that world. Once Satoko's uncle returned, Rika gave up on that world, too.

There are many other fragments, too. However, every one of them ends with the same terrible fate. And yet, even though we have repeated the month of June of Shouwa 58 countless times, there is one thing we have never learned...

Who is the culprit? Finding that out is part of the story, right? Who is the culprit? Do you even know what the culprit is to begin with? So who is the culprit? Who is the culprit that's gonna kill me?!